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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. ground — a position
  4. squash — to crush
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. staff — employees
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. staff — a stick
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. ground — crushed
  19. squash — the sport
  20. ground — the earth
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. staff — employees
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. stem — to come from

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com